Method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs



Aug. 3 1926.

J. L. STACKPOLE METHOD OF HARMONIZING A SET OF GOLF CLUBS Filed June 12, 1926 CHART 1 0 0 0 o 0 o o 0 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 wDE m N emwi? LENGTH CHART 2 .1 l EN TOR.

JOSEPH LEWIS STACKPOLE LENGTH Patented 3, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,594,801 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEWIS STAOKPOLE, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN'OR TO. THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.

METHOD OF EARMONIZING A SET OF GOLE CLUBS.

Application filed June 12, 1926. Serial No. 115,519.

The invention to be hereinafter describedrelates to a method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs of a player.

There are three fundamental characteristics of a golf club, namely its length, weight and the location of its center of gravity. The last factor determines its point of balance. The distance from the end of the handle to the center of gravity or point of balance may be termed its radius.

- When a golf club is swung, the weight may be regarded as concentrated at the center of A change of the weight of the head or of the handle of a club will alter the distance of the center of gravity from the end of the handle, and therefore, change the value of the factor B. This method deals only with clubs which are really-swung in ordinary play, and therefore, excludes heavy niblicks with which abnormal force is required, and

also putters and putting cleeks with whichthe stroke is not a swing in the sense in which this term is employed in the present application. It is also assumed that the player grips his club at the end of the handle, and does not compensate for a too heavy feel by gripping the club further down on the handle.

The aim and purpose of the present invention is to provide. a method whereby the four factors of each club can be charted in i such a manner as to readily indicate whether 'or not the clubs of the set harmonize with one another and if any alterations are required, to enable ready determination of the nature ,of the alterations.

The character of the invention may be best understood from the following description of the method taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view of a golf club in a position of balance to determine the location of its center of Figs. 2 and 3 are views of charts employed in the practice of the method.

Referring to the drawing, a driver 1 (Fig. 1) selected as typical of a golf club of a set, is shown in balanced position on a fulcrum 3 which may be a pencil or other convenient means. point of balanceor center of gravity of the club to the end of the club is its radius R. The length L as shown in Fig. 1 is the distance from the end of the club handle to the point on the sole in line with the center of the shaft. The radius and the length of the club are measured accurately to of an inch, and the weight of the club is measured on a balance scale in ounces accurately to 2/100 of an ounce. When WXR is obtained, the decimal fractions may be disregarded. Having determined these factors for a set of clubs, they may be tabulated, an example thereof being as follows:

L. W. R. WXR.

A Driver 43. 25 13.18 29.6 390 B Brassey M 13.12 30. 45 399 0 Spoon 42. 13.38 29.75 398 D. Cleek 39. 25 14. 38 28. 5 407 E. 38.65 15.03 28.1 422 F 38. 15.4 28. 431 G. 37. 5 15.9 29. 461 H. Ma. niblic'k 36.5 16.3 27.4 446 I. Ma. niblick 36. 15. 28.1 421 The results may be charted by Cartesian coordinates on chart 1 (Fig. '2), in which WXR is 390. Measuring these on the axes The distance from the OX and OY respectively locates the point one iron club that isafavorite. For ex ample, suppose the driver A and the mashie F are the respective favorites as they may well be in fact. A line is drawn through their plotted points A and F on the chart, and this is the players line of harmoniously balanced clubs which may be called briefly the players balance line.

It will be seenthat the .plotted points of the other clubs C, E, F and H, lie fairly .close to this line, but that the points B, D, G

and I are rather remote from this line. The

closer the points lie to this line, the more nearly harmonious in balance and feelwill be the corresponding clubs, and each such club will feel well. It may be that this line is not straight for every player, but it may be a line of slight curvature. It depends on i the individual player.

It will be observed that the brassey point B is well above the line, and the cleek point D is below the line. The mashie point G is above the line, and the mashie niblick point I is below the line. The chart shows that for this particular player these clubs are. out of harmony with the other clubs of the set. and that the brassey B and mashie G would feel too heavy and that the cleek D and mashie niblick I would feel too light. As a consequence, ;these clubs are difficult to play with, and they have the unharmonious feel shown thus graphically on the chart.

, having drawn his balance line through the points of his favorite clubs, can determine how or to what extent the factors,length, welght and radius of each individual club which is off that line may be altered-to bring the point of that club on or near that line. If he does this to all his clubs, he will obtain V a harmonious set of clubs, all of which will feel well to him in actual play.

For example. the point of brassey B on the chart is above the line. This club is 44.3 inches long, and its WXR is 399, Ohviously if the 'driverA which is 43.25 inches long is a favorite, the brassey is too long. By cutting an inch off the handle of the brassey, its length is reduced to 43.3 inches, its weight to 12.87 ounces. and its radius to 30.1 inches. Therefore, its WXR is 387 and its new point B on the chart is slightly below the line, which shows that a club 43.3

inches long should have a WXR of 390 for this particular player. If it were desired to bring the point of brassey B exactly on the line, a very slight amount of lead added to the head would increase both its weight end its radius and bring its point onto that On the other hand, in the case of the cleek D whose point is below the line and which feels too light, the weight of the head could be increased by adding solder to its back. In the case of the mashie G whose point is above the line, by cutting a short length off its handle, its WVXR couldbe brought down fairly close to the line.

In order to harmonize properly the clubs of a set, it is necessary that theclubs shall also be charted with reference to radius andv length. These may be chartered by Cartesian coordinates on chart2 (Fig. 3), in which lines OX' and OY are. the axes of coordinates to which all points are referred. The numbers 35 to 46 along the axis OX represent length. and the numbers 26 to 31 along the axis OY represent radius. The point for each club is plotted on this chart with reference to these axes. For example, the length of the brassey B is 44.3 inches and its radius is 30.45 inches. Measuring these on the axes OX' and OY, determines the location of the point B on the chart. Similarly, the points for the other clubs may be charted. These points are marked respectively a, b, 0, d, a, f, g, In and z. The line determined by the plotted points is not far from straight for the clubs B, B. C, D, E, F and H. This shows that each of these clubs has a. good individual balance. The location of point a for the driver A shows that although it is a favorite club, its radius is not as long as it should be to give the best results. The problem is to lengthen R bv moving the'bcnter of gravity toward the head without changing the W'XR. If weight were added to the head. that would increase both W and R and hence .also

WXR, and the point a of the driver would go up above the players balance line. on chart 1. and the harmonizing of the club with the rest of the set would be destroyed. However, removal of weight from the handle. as by boring a hole therein. does not materially alter the WXR. for it decreases W and increases R. Hence. if it were de sired to bring the point a of the driver more in alinement with a fair continuation of the line of chart 2. the proner thing to do would be simply to take weight from the handle.

A club might have its balance point such as A on the players balance line of chart 1, and yet be a poorly balanced club, because its radius is too short. For example, the factors of a driver may be assumed to be as'follows.length 43.5 inches. radius 292 inches. W 13.4 ounces and WXR 291. It will be seen that the balance point determined by the abscissa 43.5 and the ordinate 391, comes very close to the 'players balance line of chart 1, but that its R is far too short, as

1 may be seen by comparin it with the line of WVXR 378, but chart 1 shows that for a club 43.5 inches long, the WXR should be, 388. Therefore, weight can be added to the head of the club to increase both W and R until the WXR becomes 388, R being equal to 30 and W to 12.93. Theradius of 30 inches is long enough for a well balanced club. The club is thus changed from an ineffective to a very effective one by taking out weight from the handle and slightly modifying the weight in the head so as to bring the balance 1point of the club onto the players balance um A By this method of charting golf clubs, it is shown that a great deal of the lack of proper balance, particularly in wooden clubs, is due to too much weight in the handle. A great amount of study has been given to the desi ning of club heads and shafts, but practically none has been given to the effect of the weight of the handle, yet itcseems that all the benefits-of a well designed head and a well designed and thoroughly good. shaft may be entirely lost by a very slight excess of weight in the handle.

If a player will chart his 01f clubs as above explained, he will be ab le by pro er modifications thereof to harmonize the eel of the clubs in his set and cure thedeficiencies of individual balance. He will also have data which will enablehim to buy new clubs which, even without actual playing, he can be reasonably sure will suit him, and he can have his old favorites readily duplicated.

It is diflicult to pick out a satisfactory club in a shop, and even if a club seems satisfactory when played by itself a number of times, it may have an unharmonious feel when played in the course of a round when the shots are intermingled with the shots made with other clubs, butby thus charting the clubs, readingthe charts and modifying the clubs, both the difficulty in lack of harmony in the feel and the lack of proper balance in each individual club can be readily overcome.

What is claimed is 1. A method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs, characterized by plotting on a chart a 'point for each club determined by Cartesian coordinates, one representing the length and the other the moment of the club, and drawing a line through such points for two favorite clubs of the player for comparison with the plotted points for the other clubs of the set, thereby to indicate whether or not the I other clubs with reference to moment and length are in harmony with the favorite clubs.

2. A method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs, characterized by plotting on a chart a point for each club determined by Cartesian coordinates, one representing the length and the other the'radius of'the club, and drawing a line determined by the plotted points to show a comparison of the clubs with reference to radius and length and thereby indicate whether or not the center of gravity of any club should be moved toward or from the head of the club to harmonize with the other clubs.

3. A method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs, characterized by chartin each club with reference to the length an moment of the club, and with reference to the length and radius of the club, thereby to indicate whether or not the clubs of the set are in harmony with one another with reference to length, .wei ht and radius characteristics.

' 4. A method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs, characterized by chartin each club with reference to the length an moment of the club to determine whether or not the clubs'are in harmony with one another, and

altering the length or weight or radius of.

any club or clubs indicated out of harmony by the charting.

5. A method of harmonizing a set of golf clubs, characterized by charting each club with reference to the length and moment of the club, and with reference to the length and radius of the club, and altering'the length .or weight or radius of any club or clubs indicated out of harmony by the charting.

- 'JosErH LEWIS ,STAGKPOLE. 

